Austin ISD Takes a Knee

Austin ISD Takes a Knee

June 24, 2018

Recent actions by Austin ISD and their coaching staff gives many Texan’s another reason to distrust Texas government schools. The district is overtly supporting and encouraging the callous and uncalled for actions of student-athletes kneeling for the National Anthem.

Their conduct is insulting, it’s contemptuous, it’s reprehensible. Evidently, the district is doesn’t mind.

“Austin ISD is committed to educating the whole child, including supporting first amendment rights. AISD does not have a policy outlining student participation in the National Anthem or Pledge of Allegiance. Student-athletes who took part in kneeling during the national anthem prior to football games Sept. 29 were not disruptive as they exercised their first amendment rights.”

Not disruptive?

This is from the article summarized below:

As of Wednesday afternoon, more than 1,000 messages were posted beneath the initial blog post, many filled with venom aimed at the teenagers who took a stand by taking a knee.

High School football fans attending a local game thought they’d strayed into a National Felon’s League (NFL) game.

That’s disruptive Austin ISD.

The drivel continued from the Travis High Coach Joe Frank Martinez. Coach Martinez shared how he green-lighted the disrespect with this statement to the Statesman:

“I told the kids that this was a great country and a lot of people sacrificed their lives to make it great,” Martinez said. “They paid the ultimate sacrifice to allow you the freedom of speech, the freedom to protest, the freedom to take a knee.”

As a former Marine, I find this pointless nonsense incredibly grating. These types of boneheaded decisions are made by high schools all over the country, not just Austin ISD (AISD), on a daily basis.

AISD will drone on about diversity, right to their opinions, the First Amendment and on and on to justify their bad behavior.

I accept that misinformed children will make poor choices.

What I don’t accept is the complicity of the teaching and coaching staff and their efforts to dignify, lionize, and elevate these poor choices.

The costumed clowns of the NFL are destroying their franchise. I, and millions of others, no longer watch their games. My absence from their advertisers costs them money. They’re permitted their choice, and I’m permitted mine.

Austin ISD should suffer the same fate. Universal School Choice permits families to voice their displeasure with their dollars. If enough Austin families don’t mind the denigration and disrespect permitted by AISD, the district will thrive.

If they object to the student’s school-sanctioned impudence, Austin families can take their children and their dollars to more qualified educators.

Below you’ll find a brief summary of an October 4, 2017, Austin American Statesman article describing how some Austin High School Students, players, cheerleaders and others were “Taking a Knee” during the national anthem before a game.

As of Wednesday afternoon, more than 1,000 messages were posted beneath the initial blog post, many filled with venom aimed at the teenagers who took a stand by taking a knee.

Student-athletes who took part in kneeling during the national anthem prior to football games Sept. 29 were not disruptive as they exercised their first amendment rights.

At Travis High, Martinez said, he will support his players if any of them take a knee during the anthem, but he also warned them to take the matter seriously before deciding on an act of protest that could be seen before thousands of fans attending their games.

“We told our players that we are not going to take a knee just to take a knee,” he said.

“I explained to them my feelings on the issue and that I didn’t believe it was the time or place and that I felt their ability to communicate their feelings or reasoning is not the same as a professional athlete who will have an open mike to speak into and express thoughts and feelings.” Abseck added he would support his players if they decided to take a knee during the anthem.

“The Dallas Cowboys got it right a couple of weeks ago when they knelt together before the national anthem and then stood for the anthem,” Jones said.